Platner says he will suspend his Senate campaign in Maine
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July 8, 2026, 8:20 PM EDT
By Sahil Kapur
Graham Platner announced Wednesday he’s ending his Senate campaign, capping a chaotic few days of uncertainty and Democratic infighting and leaving the party without a candidate in the vitally important Maine race this fall
The announcement by the populist progressive came after a woman he dated accused him of sexual assault in 2021, causing his support to hemorrhage even among top Democratic allies, who rescinded their endorsements and called on him to drop out
In a video message on X, Platner denied the allegation as “false” but said it has “placed an immense amount of weight” on him, as he has until only Monday to decide whether to continue his candidacy. He said that if he continued, he’d lose his ability to raise money, access voter data or run a campaign
“What comes next needs to come from the people, needs to come from the people of Maine,” Platner said. “It needs to be open, transparent and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement.”
“We believe that for the movement to continue, it can’t be me. And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner continued. “We’re not doing it because of the allegations; we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”
The Maine Democratic Party now has the option to replace Platner on the ballot by a July 27 deadline set by state law. It is unclear how it will go about selecting a candidate in that compressed time frame. Many are already jockeying to be the candidate to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth six-year term
Earlier Wednesday evening, the state party said it had decided to hold a nominating convention to pick a replacement candidate and plans to “announce the full timeline,” as well as details and requirements for contenders. It promised transparency
Platner’s exit came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democratic campaign arm warned in no uncertain terms that the national party “will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.”
Within hours of Politico’s first reporting the allegation Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who visited Maine to campaign for Platner, said there “can be no tolerance for sexual assault.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., called the allegation “serious and credible” and said he deems sexual assault and violence against women “a red line.” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said the woman’s accusation was “troubling and deeply serious.” And Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., whom Platner has cited as a model for his politics, also said he advised him to step aside.
It’s a difficult situation for Maine Democrats, as party operatives don’t have enough time for a full primary campaign. But many see it as a lifeline to find a less flawed nominee with a fighting chance of defeating Collins, who was first elected in 1996 and last won re-election in 2020. She initially vowed to serve no more than two terms but reneged on that promise
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to capture control of the Senate this fall. Apart from Maine and North Carolina, all their opportunities come in states Donald Trump carried by double digits in 2024 — Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Texas. Maine is the only blue-leaning state with a GOP senator
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, handily won the primary on June 9 after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, the Democratic establishment’s preferred candidate, failed to gain traction and quit the contest in late April
With his plainspoken and antiestablishment rhetoric, Platner tapped into a rising populism within the Democratic base. Along the way, he gained endorsements from prominent progressives across the country, like Warren, Khanna and Sanders, who had previously stuck with him despite multiple damaging revelations earlier in the campaign
The Politico story Monday featured a 41-year-old woman named Jenny Racicot alleging that in 2021, when they dated, Platner appeared at her home uninvited and intoxicated and forced himself on her even as she told him to stop
“Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically untrue,” Platner said, firmly denying the allegation
Still, he hinted Monday, for the first time, that he was reconsidering whether to stay in the race. “Mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” for Maine, his movement and “the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” he said
Responding to earlier, damaging revelations about his past, Platner’s allies had said they accepted his story that he made mistakes in the aftermath of having served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and was now a changed man
There was the skull-and-crossbones chest tattoo, which Platner said he had covered after he learned it carried a Nazi association. There were the since-deleted Reddit poststhat included an array of controversial comments. There were the ex-girlfriends who alleged toxic behavior. There was the Kik account where he reportedly sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women early in his marriage
A number of his erstwhile defenders were angry and felt misled by the sexual assault allegations Monday, the breaking point for his allies. Platner had promised Democrats there wouldn’t be stories of that nature coming out, two people with knowledge of the assurances told NBC News
In his video message, Platner encouraged his supporters to “keep fighting” for the values and policies of his campaign
“We’re going to win some day,” he said
